The present invention relates generally to signal acquisition probe cables and more particularly to a lumped resistance electrical cable for use in voltage divide signal acquisition probes.
Currently available voltage divider signal acquisition probes use either nickel-chromium resistive signal wire to evenly distribute the required loss characteristics across the transmission line, or receiver circuitry disposed close enough to the probe input to eliminate transmission line effects. In the former case, the resistive signal wire lowers the circuit Q of the voltage divider input circuit of the probe to suppress signal oscillations. In the latter case, the receiver circuitry has a high input impedance to the circuit under test and a characteristic output impedance that matches the characteristic impedance of the transmission line, generally 50 ohms.
What is needed is an alternative signal acquisition probe electrical cable that has similar characteristics to the resistive signal wire currently in use. The signal acquisition probe electrical cable should facilitate multi-channel voltage divider signal acquisition probe construction. The signal acquisition probe should also use readily available commodity component technology.